HELP. I'm at a loss.

trocma30
trocma30 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm desperate for anyone to help me, whether you have experience, or are a trainer, ANYTHING. Prepare to hear my story........I'm a 20 year old female (college junior). Last New Year's (2012) I made a resolution to make exercise a regular thing. I stuck to it. For the past year and a half, I've worked out for at least 4 days a week. I really wanted to lose 15 pounds. That doesn't seem like much, right? I wasn't losing the weight. I restricted myself to eating 1200 calories a day, but after many binge-eating episodes after a tough workout, I realized 1200 wasn't enough for me to fuel myself. I now eat 1500 calories a day. Which has helped me keep on track. Well, now it's a year and a half later, and still weigh the same. I never lost those 15 pounds. I'm not overweight, but I am on the bigger side, and have some fat that I would LOVE to lose. Starting this past January, I started a 12 week weight lifting program, (I kinda wanted to get ripped). I just finished that program a few weeks ago, and as I expected, didn't lose any weight OR inches, since I gained muscle. Now I'm training for a half marathon coming up in a month, and I STILL didn't lose a single pound. I used to allow myself cheat days every Saturday, but now even cut those out because I'm desperate to lose any weight or inches at all! 15 pounds isn't that much, but I'm so fed up. I haven't lost ANY INCHES OR POUNDS in the past year and a half since I started this whole "Working Out" thing. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!!?!?!?! feel free to ask for additional details. Please, I'm sooooooo desperate for help. I can't afford a personal trainer as I am in college. Please, help me to lose this 15 FRIKKIN POUNDS. :(

Replies

  • haanmom
    haanmom Posts: 90 Member
    What are you eating?

    From looking at your pictures, it looks like you are already pretty lean. Have you looked into online nutritional plans? Jamie Eason has a few different meal plans on bodybuilding.com.

    I can't really give you much advise because I am in a similar position. I am getting close to my goal weight and am finding it hard to lose weight while doing serious workouts 4-5X/week. I'm losing a little at a time, but from your pictures I think I've got more body fat to lose. My next step is to find a super clean, macro focused meal plan and see if following that can help me with the results I want.

    ETA: Here is one of the meal plans I'm talking about: http://www.bodybuilding.com/guides/female-20to39-fat-loss/nutrition
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I lost my last stubborn 10lbs by eating according to the info in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    I had to up my calories to get things moving again, but lost a lot of the fat, many inches, and finally dropped to goal weight - eating 1800+ calories a day. Give it a read - it's a lot of info, but it's good stuff.
  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
    Can you please open up your diary to public so we can see your eating habits?

    As haanmom stated, you look pretty fit already. It's going to be hard losing that last 15... though it doesn't look like you need to lose it.................

    I usually promote lower carb plans, but you're going to need quite a bit if you're marathon training.
  • cherilannhall
    cherilannhall Posts: 22 Member
    Are you still wearing the same clothes as when you started? If so do they fit any different? I can't imagine that everything would be the same and its been a year. Sorry I don't have any answers I just feel your frustration. Just don't give up. Whether or not you lose that 15 lbs just know you have made a positive change in your life and you are healthier than you would have been if you had not started working out.
  • trocma30
    trocma30 Posts: 12
    Thank you thank you thank you everybody! My clothes fit the same....bummer. The only difference I noticed is muscle and my endurance is the best it's ever been. The thing is is that I haven't lost ANY weight, so it's not like it's the "last 15". It's just 15. I know I can get rid of it as I have before my freshman year of college. I want to clarify that I don't want to lose this little weight because I am unhappy with the way I look or I think I'm "fat", and I appreciate the compliments. I want to lose it to challenge myself, I've tried for so long I am NOT giving up.
  • trocma30
    trocma30 Posts: 12
    My diary is now open to view, feel free to add me as well.
  • run_way
    run_way Posts: 220
    Try upping your calories and continue weight training. If you start to gain, maybe the problem has been your cheat day every Saturday. I do more of a once a month thing, otherwise that one day can increase your average daily calories for the whole week...
  • trocma30
    trocma30 Posts: 12
    That may well be the problem...Saturday's I can go overboard, but I didn't think one day would completely keep me from losing any weight, so I decided I can do just ONE cheat meal on Saturdays instead of the whole day being cheat day....does that sound like a good idea?
  • run_way
    run_way Posts: 220
    That may well be the problem...Saturday's I can go overboard, but I didn't think one day would completely keep me from losing any weight, so I decided I can do just ONE cheat meal on Saturdays instead of the whole day being cheat day....does that sound like a good idea?

    I think one cheat meal would be fine, then be sure to log it. If you're still not losing, take those extra calories and average them out over the rest of the week to make sure you're still at a deficit and not just maintenance.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    What's your BF%? I think that would be more important than scale weight for you. You look awesome, fit, and lean...my guess is your BF% is already pretty low for a female and your body is going to be pretty reluctant to give it up. Personally, I'd suggest no more than a 10% cut from TDEE. You should also keep on with the weight training. If you're doing a lot of steady state cardio, mix it up with some sprints and HIIT.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Edit: Also, just an FYI...you have some nice, beautiful muscle there...it would be a shame to destroy it by eating at too much of a calorie deficit.
  • bevmcarthur
    bevmcarthur Posts: 341 Member
    i have looked at your diet where are your Veggies and Fruit i see a lot of processed foods in your diet .
    this may not work for you but worth a try
    google first Line Therapy
    here is an idea of what you should have in a day
    3 servings of Protein
    1 serving of Legumes
    1 serving of Nuts or seeds
    1 serving of category 2 veggies like Carrots beets winter squash sweet potato or patties
    3-4 servings of category 1 veggies Squash lettuces salsa tomatoes eggplant bean sprouts Bok Choy Snow peas Spinish this is just a few
    2 servings fruit like berries cantaloupe 1 orange 1 apple fresh figs grapefruit
    2 servings of grains
    4 Oils

    you really need to ADD clean good foods to your diet
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    Thank you thank you thank you everybody! My clothes fit the same....bummer. The only difference I noticed is muscle and my endurance is the best it's ever been. The thing is is that I haven't lost ANY weight, so it's not like it's the "last 15". It's just 15. I know I can get rid of it as I have before my freshman year of college. I want to clarify that I don't want to lose this little weight because I am unhappy with the way I look or I think I'm "fat", and I appreciate the compliments. I want to lose it to challenge myself, I've tried for so long I am NOT giving up.

    At your age it may not be such a great idea to be trying so hard to get back to a weight from years ago, especially if your body is already fit and putting up a resistance to getting any leaner. Bodies are still maturing in the late teens.

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